A Review of Traditional and Non-Traditional Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Women

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality amongst women. While our general understanding of evaluation and treatment of CVD has greatly improved over the past decades, there is a gap in the knowledge of female specific CVD risk factors and cardiac health. Young women in particular are often unaware of their cardiovascular risk and have experienced a smaller reduction in CVD risk over time as compared to other demographics. In recent years, the variation in traditional risk factors and the identification of non-traditional risk factors have been studied as a potential avenue to identify and better address this risk. Non-traditional risk factors such as pregnancy-related hypertensive and glucose disorders have been implicated in CVD risk and may benefit from assessment. Furthermore, novel risk factors such as breast arterial calcification may provide new avenues in which to evaluate patients. While a number of variables have been identified as potential female-specific CVD risk factors, it is still unclear how this can aid risk prediction and therefore our management of CVD in women. Our review aims to summarize the current knowledge of traditional and non-traditional CVD risk factors in women and how this may implicate future management of CVD in women.